The controversy prone actor

By: Faridoon Shahryar, IndiaFM
Wednesday, May 09, 2007

John Abraham admitted on Koffee with Karan recently that Aamir Khan is his favourite actor and his favourite superstar since Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak. Hrithik Roshan owes his 'perfectionist' streak and one-film-at-at-time practice to the reclusive Khan. Shahid Kapoor post Vivaah thinks he has had enough and would only do films with quality 'scripts'. And yes, even he thinks that Aamir Khan way of doing one good film at a time is better than dime-a-dozen nonsense.

Controversy is his middle name. And some say he invents them right before the release of his films. The enigma or should we say fable of Aamir Khan continues to hog the Bollywood searchlight. For even when he is away from the gaze of limelight for five years, every move he makes is watched with rapturous curiosity.

If year 2006 was marked by the super success of Dhoom, Krrish and Lage Raho Munnabhai, then it was also an Aamir Khan year. For two of the blockbusters Rang De Basanti and Fanaa were helmed by him. Some said south star Siddharth was the hero of RDB as he hogs the heroic deeds at the climax. Director Rakeysh Mehra on his part maintained that he wanted to make a few changes to the existing script to bolster Aamir's star status. But it was Aamir who wanted to stick to the original script rather than highlighting himself.

Mehra in an article in a national daily had also stated that Aamir is a lover, a giver, someone who doesn't expect anything in return. RDB went on to be India's entry to the Oscars and ignited people movements in the country especially in the Jessica Lal murder case. Cynics said, Aamir's second marriage hype in Panchgani gave a huge impetus to the film's commercial success as the ceremony was conducted barely a month before the film's release.

Kunal Kohli's Fanaa brought Aamir and Kajol together as a lead pair for the first time. A month before the film's release Aamir got into another controversy when he invited the television media (he had lambasted them in a Tehelka interview not-so-long-ago) at Delhi's Jantar Mantar and lent support to the rehabilitation of the poor families of four states that were to be displaced because of the construction of Sardar Sarovar Dam on Narmada river. Hell broke lose, especially in Gujarat. Khan's effigies were burnt and the religious zealots made sure that Fanaa was not released in Gujarat. Aamir's stoic stance and refusal to say sorry, earned loads of bouquets from national and international press as well as eminent citizens.